Republic of the Philippines

Western Mindanao State University

C O L L E G E O F L I B E R A L A R T S
Normal Road, Baliwasan, Zamboanga City 7000
Tel. No. 991- 3840

Name: Yvette A. Maglambayan

Year: BS BIO 1C

1. If We have learned something out of the proverbial stories of Tarzan and Cinderella,
how is it related to our discussion on the Social Self. Explain your answer.

- In the story of Tarzan, he was abandoned in the jungle since he was a baby. He adopted the
mannerisms of the apes who lived in that jungle because he grew up without parent and just with
them. Although he is a human, his environment is different from that of ordinary people, and as a
result, his actions are more similar to those of an ape than those of a human. And also, in the
story of Cinderella, she grew up with her stepmother and stepsisters, which she obeys too much
and shows so much kindness to them, and this makes her to have low self esteem and not be
confident about herself. And with these, I think that the proverbial stories of Tarzan and
Cinderella is related to the social self in a way that it shows that our external environment, or
surroundings, has a significant impact on our personality over time, our selves are a product of
our interaction to the environment. Things around us, such as behavior and actions, have an
impact on us, and as a result, we adapt to our surroundings or society.

2. In your opinion how does society and its different institution (nation, family, education,
religion, economy, ethnic background) influence the person you are today.

- On my own opinion, the society and its institution have influenced us in maybe a positive or
negative way, it is just in how we accept it and on how we react on it. Our society has a great
impact in the influence of how we are as a person today and the society and its different
institution shapes us in more ways than we prefer to admit. It influence us in a way like we are
enabling to use this influences in our daily lives such as giving respects to the elders, going to
school and studying well, praying and believing in God, and having a stand on our nation. The
first society we have, which is our family, they influence us on how we act, have choices and in
many other things which we use until now. Everything of it has an impact on us, it is now just up
to us if we accept the influence and include it in us, as a person, or take it in a positive or
negative way.

3. How can you explain the concept of Self, in the view of the social self?

- The concept of self is a broad term that refers to how a person thinks about, judges, or sees
oneself, and it is needed to our social self. Just like Marcle Mauss, I could explain the concept of
self in a way that there are two kinds of self, the first self is the one that is really you, or your
true self and the second is the Personne or the one that we show to the others. The first self,
which is your true self shows the real you which is your basic identity or the part of you that
cannot be changed. Personne, on the other hand, is a collection of societal ideas about what it
means to be who one wants to be. It has a lot to do with what it means to live in a specific
institution, a specific family, a specific religion, and a specific nationality, as well as how to
behave in the face of expectations and influence from others. One must be aware of oneself in
order to have an understanding of oneself.

4. It was said that human self is consistent over a period of the hence the behavior we do is
repetitive against various circumstances, yet however it is also ever- changing and
dynamic. How do you make sense out of this human complexity?

- For me, every human has his or her own behavior in every situations, but as time passes by, that
behavior changes because of the social environment, social life, and social influences that we
encounter on our lives. Social influence is the way in which individuals change their behavior to
meet the demands or expectations of a social environment, or to fit into our environment, and
this is why people accept social influence and become an ever-changing and dynamic. People
allow social factors and changes to impact their beliefs and behaviors for a variety of reasons,
like the reason that we frequently adapt to a group's standards in order to be accepted by its
members.

5. The Social Constructivist contends the imperative of merging the person into its context
in order to grasp the kind of self the person is. How would you explain this thought to
your classmate or friends?

- Social Constructivist, argue for a merged view of the person and their social context. Where the
boundaries of one cannot easily separated from the boundaries of the other. And I would maybe
explain this thought to them in a way of giving them an example scenario, just like when they
will have a new classmate who do not socialize or interact with the other classmates, and as a
result of this the other classmates may bully her.With this, I would say to them that as her
classmate, they should not bully her. First and foremost, they must comprehend what she is
going through in her life. We must comprehend and consider this new student's situation.
Perhaps she had been bullied in the past, which is why she refused to socialize with others. We
need to look at the kind of surroundings he's been in before, as well as the types of situations
she's had to deal with. We must examine a person's social exterior surroundings in order to
comprehend her. With this example, they would probably understand the thought that is being
convey to my classmate or friends.

6. It is said that the self is malleable in its dealing with the society, how is possible?
Explain your answer.

- Based on my understanding, when we say that self is malleable, it means that our self is easily
influenced, trained, or controlled by something. And when dealing with the society, self is indeed
malleable in a way just like for example, we are easily influenced by the current situation or
environment we are in. Because in a social context, each individual imagines how they look to
others and how others will judge that appearance. People always seek to create consistency
between their internal and exterior environments and, as a result, continue to perceive, modify,
and strive for balance throughout their lives, making them malleable in dealing to the society.

7. In your own life, how multi – faceted is your identity?

- Based on what I've seen and what individuals have told me, I have a variety of, at times
complex, identities that I present to the people with whom I engage. Because our behavior and
attitude are impacted by our environment, we tend to modify them a little to match the present
situation. We all have sides of ourselves that few others know about. We all have different faces
for different situations. If multiple faces or facets appear more frequently in one situation than
others, it's easy for our minds to categorize those faces and to divide the differences in the faces
we show in those situations, which can make us feel like we have "divided" personalities, the
personality we show only to ourselves and our loved ones, and the personality we display in
front of others.’

8. Do you agree that humans have shifting form of identity? If not how would you say
otherwise? Explain your answer.

- I agree entirely. People are influenced by their surroundings. Your personality is shaped by the
surroundings you put yourself in and the influences you allow to effect you. Environments may
be both wonderful and unpleasant, but what you take away from them is what allows you to
grow and thrive and also shift your identity. People's interactions might be assisted or impeded
by their circumstances. People's actions and motives can be influenced by their environment.
When you choose to modify your identity, you are coming closer to your ideal self and changing
your existing identity. You may become a new person, the person you want to be, and live and
enjoy a better and new life this way. You must undergo the altering process in order to change
your identity. This is a deliberate shift that will put one's willpower to the test. As a result, it is a
wise decision, for someone to make a positive transformation. When we change our identity, we
start paying attention to everything that contributes to our identity.

9. For Marcel Mause there are two kinds of Identity, Moi and Personne. In your own
understanding, what is Moi?

- Moi is the part of you that is truly you. It is the genuine you, the one who reveals your actual
nature and individuality and shows your basic identity. It might be something you've taken with
you from the beginning to who you are, today and will be in the future. It is a reflection of who
you are in your heart and thoughts.

10. How important it is for us to have numerous of Perssone? Is it practical for us to have
shifting or ever – changing persona? Explain your answer.

- I think it is quite important to have numerous Personne, because it allows or enables us to

act according to the situation or environment we are in. We adopt this different personne of
us in which we disguise ourselves as other people and hide our actual selves or our genuine
selves in order to fit into certain social environments. And yes it is practical for us to have
shifting or changing persona. As we have these expectations in our society, we must always
adapt ourselves and have changing persona into the society because we have obligations
that require us to act in ways that allow us to function in such situations. It is practical to
have a shifting and ever-changing persona because we know we have our own self, it's just
that we need to act differently so that society can accept us, and we can accept society as
well. It can also help us develop and gain new lessons and experiences in life as a result of
this.